>These old-time hunting dogs reached a high degree of training, but the methods used must have been something of a trade secret, for not much is divulged – far less than was written on how to train hawks.<p>The "old time methods" are as varied as the modern ones but not likely to be much different in practice. It will depend on the person running the pack.<p>If your hounds are hunting for themselves, they'll do it differently. If they're hunting for their people, they'll do what their people want. You just need to let them know what that is. The ability to tell a pack "we need food now" or "we're looking for something sexy for the idjit on the horse to kill" is still a valuable skill, which takes years to learn plus years to build a pack.<p>Gratuitous puppy anecdote: My coon hound brought home a raccoon, by herself, some months after I gave up hunting with her for health reasons. "We ain't been out for a while daddy, so I brought you one!"